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American Strike Against Captagon Smuggling Networks Supporting the Syrian Regime
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The intertwined relationships between drug dealers and Syrian officials indicate an integrated system that exploits state resources to support criminal activities and finance the regime
The U.S. Treasury Department announced the addition of three individuals to the sanctions list for their involvement in the production and trade of Captagon, a network allegedly benefiting the Syrian regime's president and his allies. The department clarified that senior officials in the Syrian regime oversee the manufacturing and smuggling operations of this dangerous drug.
The punitive measures included Khaldoun Hamia, a known drug dealer with close ties to the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Fourth Division of the Syrian regime's forces.
Hamia is believed to dominate Captagon production facilities in the Sayyida Zeinab area in the suburbs of Damascus. He also cooperated with border crossing officials between Syria and Lebanon to facilitate drug transportation to Jordan.
The department pointed out Hamia's role in directing Captagon trade revenues to the office of Maher al-Assad, the Syrian regime president's brother. Moreover, Hamia supplied Maher al-Assad with weapons and armored vehicles and made donations estimated at about one million dollars to Hezbollah.
The sanctions also affected Abdul Latif Hamida, a prominent businessman who owns a company used for Captagon smuggling. Estimates indicate that Hamida successfully shipped quantities of the drug to Europe exceeding $1.5 billion in value.
The U.S. measures also targeted Raji Falhout, described as a gang leader cooperating with the Syrian Military Intelligence and Hezbollah.
This move comes as part of ongoing U.S. efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks associated with the Syrian regime, which constitute an important source of funding for its activities and those of its allies in the region. It highlights the magnitude of the challenge posed by this illicit trade at both regional and international levels.
Levant - Follow-up
